This Easy Pesto Chicken with Bruschetta is the perfect recipe for a weeknight meal that both kids and adults will love. Baked chicken breast, pesto, and fresh tomato bruschetta come together in an Italian-inspired dish that is healthy and delicious.
This recipe came to be when I was making my Air Fryer Bruschetta Recipe and realized that I needed a quick main dish as well to feed my family that night. Since I always have frozen chicken breast on hand, baked pesto chicken sounded perfect.
To make it even better, I decided to add some of the fresh tomato bruschetta to the top of the chicken, and dinner was served!
Ingredients for Pesto Chicken with Bruschetta
Pesto and Chicken
- 2 cups fresh basil leaves
- 3 large garlic cloves
- ¼ cup pine nuts, walnuts or almonds
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
- salt and pepper (to taste)
- 4 boneless/skinless chicken breasts
- more parmesan cheese for topping
Bruschetta Topping
- 6 medium tomatoes
- 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp basil, sliced thin
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tsp salt
- ¼ tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
How to make pesto chicken and bruschetta
- Use store-bought pesto or make it. To make the pesto, place the basil leaves, garlic, and nuts in the food processor or blender and process until finely minced. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil as the processor is still going until smooth. Add the cheese and mix in completely. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Quickly cook the garlic in olive oil and then add all of the bruschetta ingredients to a bowl and allow to marinate for at least 30 minutes.
- Prepare the chicken with salt, pepper, and pesto and bake for 15 minutes at 400º. Add shredded parmesan cheese to the top of the chicken and bake for another 5 minutes. Check the temperature of the chicken, remove from the oven, and allow it to cool slightly.
- Place a generous spoonful of the bruschetta on top of each chicken breast before serving.
Quick Tip: How to Defrost Chicken Quickly
One of the worst things to happen in the kitchen is defrosting meat in the microwave and having the edges start to cook. Maybe I'm the only one, but it makes chicken rubbery and not fun to eat.
A better way to defrost chicken is in a sealed plastic bag in cold water. Not hot water or you will have the same issue of the chicken starting to cook. If you plan ahead, this takes about 30 min/lb or so but it's better than rubbery chicken.
Pesto Chicken with Bruschetta
Equipment
- oven-safe baking dish
- mixing bowl
- small food processor or blender
Ingredients
Pesto
- 2 cups fresh basil leaves
- 3 large garlic cloves
- ¼ cup pine nuts, walnuts or almonds
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
- salt and pepper (to taste)
Bruschetta Topping
- 6 medium tomatoes
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons basil, sliced thin
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
Pesto Chicken
- 4 boneless/skinless chicken breasts
- 4 tablespoons pesto
- 4 teaspoons shredded parmesan cheese
Instructions
Pesto
- Place the basil leaves, garlic, and nuts in the food processor or blender and mix until finely minced. Slowly drizzle the olive oil in as the processor still going until smooth. Add the cheese and mix in completely. Add salt and pepper to taste. You can also use store-bought pesto.
Bruschetta Topping
- Mince 2-3 garlic cloves and set aside. In a pan over medium-low heat, add 4 tablespoon olive oil and allow the oil the heat up. Add the minced garlic cloves and cook quickly for about 1-2 minutes, just until you can smell the garlic and it becomes lightly browned. Don't burn it or it will be bitter. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
- While the garlic and oil are cooling, dice the tomatoes and slice up the basil into thin pieces. Place the tomatoes, basil, vinegar, salt, and red pepper flakes into the bowl and toss together. Add the garlic and oil from skillet and toss to combine. Cover and place in the fridge to marinate for a minimum of 30 minutes to allow all of the flavors to combine.
Pesto Chicken
- Preheat the oven to 400°F and spray your baking dish with non-stick spray. Make sure the chicken breasts are fully thawed (if using frozen) and are all about the same size for even baking. Dry the chicken with a paper towel and sprinkle with salt and pepper on both sides. Brush about 1 tablespoon of pesto sauce on top of each chicken breast. There is no need to get both sides, just the top.
- Place the chicken in the oven for 15 minutes. Sprinkle the top with the shredded parmesan cheese and bake for 5 more minutes. Always check chicken with a themometer, the chicken needs to be at 165° to be fully cooked.
- Remove the baking dish from the oven and allow the chicken to cool slightly before serving. Place each chicken breast on a plate and spoon on a generous amount of the bruschetta. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Any nutrition calculations are only estimates using online calculators. Please verify using your own data.
Did you make this Pesto Chicken with Bruschetta?
If you get a chance to make this easy meal, feel free to leave a comment and let me know how it was! You can also tag me on Instagram or Facebook or follow me on Pinterest for more fun and delicious recipes.
Swathi says
Looks delicious perfect appetizer any day love this chicken with bruschetta.
Emily says
Thank you, it's a great appetizer or main dish!
Maren says
This chicken is so mouth watering. Perfect for the end of tomato season.
Emily says
Thanks and I totally agree, I always need something to do with tomatoes this time of year!
Capri says
The pesto is so delicious! Made this meal for my family and we enjoyed it!
Emily says
This is a perfect meal to make for a family dinner, I'm so glad you enjoyed it!
Chef Dennis says
We just had this for lunch and it was fantastic! Thanks for sharing your recipes with us
Emily says
You are welcome, It’s always great to hear when everyone likes something. You can never go wrong with chicken!
Amy says
This was such a great recipe! My friends absolutely loved it!
Emily says
I’m so glad to hear everyone loved the pesto chicken, it’s the perfect thing to serve for a get together.
Alexandra says
A current family favourite meal! So delicious, and lovely flavours. We made some homemade pesto with basil from the garden 🙂
Emily says
Homegrown basil is the best!! I’m so glad your family liked it.
kerri says
this is perfection! love finding new ways to change up chicken!
Emily says
Thanks, Kerri! You can never have too many chicken recipes!
Sue says
This was amazing! What and easy and delicious solution to dinner. And truly a terrific way to make a chicken breast so much more interesting! This will be in my regular rotation - thank you!
Emily says
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! I agree, it’s a great way to make chicken interesting 🙂
Tamara says
This was such a great recipe for a family brunch I hosted.
Emily says
I’m so glad! What a great idea to make this for a brunch.